2016 Olympic Hopeful Cassandra Wolf
Donation protected
I'm currently ranked 11th in the USA - Women's Olympic Archery and here is my story...In October of 2008, while living in Chula Vista, CA I saw an ad in the paper for an Archery Club starting at the Olympic Training Center. Although I didn't think I could commit to the 3 day a week club classes I thought I would give it a whirl. From the first time they put a bow in my hand my life changed. When I hit gold for the first time I felt a sense of completeness, a void was filled that I didn't even know was empty. Amazing: After a week of Archery, Coach Kisik Lee, USA Olympic Head Coach, asked me to come early the next day so he could show some people my shooting. I arrived the next day to find a crowd of Jr. Dream Team Coaches oohing and ahhing my "technique". Later that afternoon Coach Lee approached me and said that I had a natural ability for Archery and he thought that one day maybe I could be a champion and I should consider shooting daily and compete. The US Olympic National Head Coach said I could one day be a Champion:wow: that was it, that was the turning point. I decided to not renew my consulting contract (work) in December 2008 so I could train full time, at home and at Club to try and make top 20 in the USA by July 2009. If I made top 20 I could apply for Off site Athlete at the Olympic Training Center. I was ambitious, determined and perceived as naive by some athletes who had been shooting since they were 8 to make it to the OTC. I jumped right into training and tournaments and by May of 2009, just 6 months after picking up a bow I cracked top 20 Women in the USA and by July of 2009 I was accepted to the Resident Athlete Program at the OTC as an Off Site Athlete!!!!
I remember the first time I went into the dining hall, sports medicine and weight training. The feeling I had, the sense of pride for my country and the men and women who give their all everyday to be the best in the world. It was inspiring, I tried to stifle my child like wonder and smile as I looked at the photos of athletes on the wall with there medals. It was going to be me one day: I trained full time, 6 days a week until November 2010 and maintained top 15 in the USA, by then I had not worked since Dec 2008 and it was now off season, I decided to go back to work so I could support myself through London 2012 (my eye was on the prize). My new contract (work) was in TX, too much traveling was affecting my training in early 2011, so I made the tough decision to move to TX so I could work and train up until Olympic Trials in late September 2011. I didn't quite make the 2012 Olympic Team, but I had a sense of pride for being 8th in the USA while in London supporting my fellow team mates that I had trained and competed with for so long. The experience brightened my eyes to the culmination of my dream, the Olympics, it doesn't get any better than this. I will be on the team next time not on the sidelines, I will compete in 2016 Rio.
This brings me to present day. To make the US National Team and a World team and then the Olympic team I must train full time, 6 days a week for the next 2 years. I was accepted again to be an Off-Site Athlete training at the OTC this summer. Any donations or support you can give would allow me to focus more on training and less on how I'm going to support myself.
Its about the dream, its about bringing home a medal for my country, its about reaching my potential and knowing in the end I gave it everything, I will leave nothing behind in my journey to 2016.
living the dream:.one arrow at a time
facebook.com/cassandrawolfarchery
I remember the first time I went into the dining hall, sports medicine and weight training. The feeling I had, the sense of pride for my country and the men and women who give their all everyday to be the best in the world. It was inspiring, I tried to stifle my child like wonder and smile as I looked at the photos of athletes on the wall with there medals. It was going to be me one day: I trained full time, 6 days a week until November 2010 and maintained top 15 in the USA, by then I had not worked since Dec 2008 and it was now off season, I decided to go back to work so I could support myself through London 2012 (my eye was on the prize). My new contract (work) was in TX, too much traveling was affecting my training in early 2011, so I made the tough decision to move to TX so I could work and train up until Olympic Trials in late September 2011. I didn't quite make the 2012 Olympic Team, but I had a sense of pride for being 8th in the USA while in London supporting my fellow team mates that I had trained and competed with for so long. The experience brightened my eyes to the culmination of my dream, the Olympics, it doesn't get any better than this. I will be on the team next time not on the sidelines, I will compete in 2016 Rio.
This brings me to present day. To make the US National Team and a World team and then the Olympic team I must train full time, 6 days a week for the next 2 years. I was accepted again to be an Off-Site Athlete training at the OTC this summer. Any donations or support you can give would allow me to focus more on training and less on how I'm going to support myself.
Its about the dream, its about bringing home a medal for my country, its about reaching my potential and knowing in the end I gave it everything, I will leave nothing behind in my journey to 2016.
living the dream:.one arrow at a time
facebook.com/cassandrawolfarchery
Organizer
Cassandra Wolf
Organizer
Dallas, TX